Internal-combustion engine



March 17,1925. 1 4 1,529,836

B. HATCH v INTERNAL COMBUSTION 1111611111 FiledMay' 16, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 to get a maximum J fuel and air soihat burned.

Patented Mar. Iii-925.

UNl'llIi iiTA'lES are. q

ENTERR'AL-CGMBUSTIQH EEG @1313. I

Application filed May 16, 1921. Serial Ho. 39,778.

' State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with an internal combustion engine, and. it is an object of the invention to provide improved means for letting gases int out of an engine cylinder. The inv )l is applicahle'to engines-of various sizes, designs, and man: ners of operation, and no Way specificallylimited to theapplicatiou specifically set forth in this disclosure.

For the purpose on" setting forth asimple and typical form of the invention 1' herein disclose it as applied to, or embodied in, an engine of typical or conventional design and construction and adapted to operate on the four-cycle principle.

Internal combustion engines of ordinary design and construction a portion of the burned gases remains in the firing chamher or combustion chamber at the com letion of a cycle of operation. These urned gases mix with, the fresh charge of fuel admitted during the next cycle of'oporation, thusdecreasing the power and etficie'ncy' of thoengine. It is evident that the space in the combustion chamber occupied by waste or burnt gases cannot be occupied by a similar portion or amount of new charge and therefore it is impossible charge of combustible fuel and air and a maximum power impulse. It is also evident that the presence of waste gases contaminates the charge of it has to be made sufficientl over-rich to absorb the waste gases and still be capable of beingignitedand These factors have u markedinfluence on the operation of ordinary inter- IiaLcdmbustion engines and materially reonging of the burned 'duce their power and etli-ciency.

Tests have shown, or indicated, that from twelve to fifteen per cent increase in efilciency can be obtained by complete scavgzases from the combustion chamber with a corresponding increase in. power developed. Numerous devices have been tested and proposed to op Fig, 1; Fig. 5

'ing parts provided.

combustion to be completely removed from the combustion chamber and to enable a more complete and perfect charging of the combustion chamber with fuel. Such devices have, to a more or less degree, been complicated, impractical, and almost invariably unsuited for present practice, in con struction and. operation.

It is an object of this invention to pro vide a simple, effective, practical means for completely ridding the combustion chamber of an engine of burned gases, and admitting a full charge of fuel into it. In carrying out the invention a distinctive type or form of valve mechanism been provided as will ed out in detail.

The various objects and invention, including those larly pointed out, will he derstood from the following detailed de scription typical forms otthe invention, throughout which reference is had to the and. gas passages has he hereinafter p01ntfeatures of the herein part1cumore fully unaccompanying drawings in Whichl-"' ,ig. 1 1s a vertical detailed sectional view of-h typical founcycle internal combustion engine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 .s a side elevationof the upperportion of the engine shown in Fig. I, being a View taken as indicated by line 22 on is an enlarged view of the inlet valve and its spring removed from the othcrparts oi the engine, with a portion broken away to. show in cross-section; Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrannnatic views showing thevurious portions of the parts of the invention during a complete cycle of operation; Fig. 11' is an enlarged View of the upper portion of Fig. 1, showby the present invention more clearly and distinctly; Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by line 12-12 on Fig. 11; and Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fi 1]., of another form of construction enibodying the present invention.

In the drawings numeral 10 designates a typical engine 'cylinderand numeral 11 designates a typical piston adapted to Work or reciprocate in the cylinderlO in the manner common to mechanism of this character. The piston 11 is connected with a suitable crank shaft 12 by a connecting rod 13. The crank shaftlZ is supported 0 a suitable crank case 13, arranged at t e lower her suit-ably attached to end of the cylinder 10. The construction and arrangement herein so far described its common to ordinary engines of this character and is herein set forth merely to typifv the general character of mechanism in connection with which the present invention may be employed.

In the present form the. inventionprovides. generally, two valve members. an inlet valve l6 and an exhaust alve l? for admitting: gases into the cyliudc' and removing them from the cylinder The inlet valve )6 is in the form of a ring or annular member and has a sealing surface 15 at its inner periphery adapted to engage and seat on a seat l9 provided for that purpose at the extreme upperend of the cylinder 10, and has a sealing surface 230 at its outer periphery adapted seat 21. provided for that purpose, on the casing 22 which surrounds the upper por tion of the cylinder 10. The seats are preferably both concentric with the. cylinder to and in substantially the same horizontal plane. The parts are arranged and propoi tioned so that, the Slll'iitlW. engages tie seat 19 at the same time that the surface 20 engages the seat 2'1. 'lfhe casing 92 is preferably cylindrical in form and is arranged concentrically with the cylinder 10 so that its upper partforms the side wall of the combustion chamber In while its lower part forms the outer wall of the chamber or annular pl'issa'ge 23 from which the fuel or fresh gases are admitted by the valve 16 into the combustion chamber A. it will be obvious. of course, that the casing may be integral with the cylinder, as shown in the drawings or that it may be a separate men:-

the cylinder. There is an inlet opening 24' in the casing 22 through which the charge admitted or supplied into the'passage 23. The inlet valve 16 in extending between the upper end of the cylinder 10 and the casing 22, and in having a surface to seat against a portion of the cylinder and a surface to seat against a portion of the casing, controls the communication between the combustion chamber and cylinder and the annular chamber 23. When the valve 16 is down, or when the surfaces 18 and 20 in. engagement with the seats 19 and 21. respectively. as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 1'0 and l]. communication between the combustion chamber and the passage 23 is closed or cut oil and the fuel in passage 23 is not admitted or allowed to pass into the combustion. chamber. However. when the valve 16 is up or is open d so'that the surfaces 18 and 20 are out of engagement with the seats 19 and 20, respectively, as indicated in Figsh and '6, the communication between the combustion chamber and the passage 23 is open so that fuel and-air are allowed to pass freely from to engage and seat on a 1,529,1sao

the passage 23 into the combustion chamber and the parts in open communication therewith. The valve 16 preferably fits more or less closely in that, portion of the casing which forms the side Wall of the combustion chamber so that gases will not leak past it during the operation of the engine as hereinafter described.

in the particular form of the invention shown in the drawings the valve 16 is normally held on its seats 19 and 2.1 by a spring 25 and is adapted to he operated or opened b' v suitahle cams 26 through tappets 27 and ush-rods :38. The spring 25 is preferably a helical spring: arranged hetween projections 3 ext' :ii'ii;z" inwardly from the cast ins 22 and an upwardly facing shoulder ill or" a pro i ctimi e1 vided at the lower end of an annular flax 32 extending from the main portion of the valve 16. 'i he projections 30. ot? which there may be any de sired number. are preferably separate from the casing 22 and formed, on hracltets 33. secured to the outer of the casing 22 by suitable screws to extend through openings in the lasing and into the chamber 23. in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. ll.- Siuitable reniovz'ihle mover plates 36 may be providesil over each of the brackets as clearly illustrated in the drawings, \Vith the :uransrenientand construction just described it will be readily understood how the spring heing arranged a state of compression between the projec ions 30 and the shoulder 31 tends to move thevalve l6 downwardly and thereby holds it yieldingly on its seats 19 and 23.. In practice the valve 16 and spring 25 orni a unitary structure as they are preferably assembled before being arranged in connection with the other parts and are iremovahle a unit from the other parts when the projections 30 are removed. The cams which are shaped to operate the-valve -16 hereinafter explained in the operationlgfi the engine may be mounted on cam shaftstin operated from valve 16 .the crank shatt in through suitable timing there be two or more puslrrods engaging the valve 15 to lift it from its seat and that the iuslnrodshc equally spaced around. the valve so that itwili he lifted evenly and will. not have a tendency of line. i

'lhecxhaust valve 1? is the Poppet type to tiltor get out andhasa stem fifl -extenuing'upwardlyin or".

through suitable guide 51- mounted in the cylinder head 52 which is provided with suitable chambers 53 to carry cooling fluid and which is secured in, place by suitable bolts 53*. The cylinder head 52 has an en? haust port.53 openin downwardly into the combustion chamber A. and is formed with a valve seat 54 at the mouth of the exhaust port to receive the sealing surface 54* of the exhaust valve 17. When the exhaust valve 17 is up'and the sealing surface 54 is in engagement with the seat 54. as indicated in Figs. 6. 7, 8 it completely cuts oil co mmuni Figs. 1,91, 2,55. 6 and 11v cation between the combustion chamber ant the exhaust port, and when it is down and the peripheral portion of the valve 17, which .is adapted to engage or seat against a suitable upwardly facing sea-ting surface 61 at Ill the outer end of the rocker arm 73.

the inner peripheral portion of the valve 16. in the particular engine illustrated. the exhaust port is sufficiently large that the valve 17 need not be extended orenlarged in order to be sufficiently large to properly engage and co-opcratc with the valve 16.-

The stem 50 extends above the guide 51 and has a cup 63 mounted on its upper end. The cup 63 is held against displacement from the end of the st m 51') by the pin 6-1 arranged in it and through a suitable opening 65 in the stem. .1 helical spring 66 extends between a flange (37:. extending: outwardly from the upper portion of the cup 53. and a shoulder 69, provided on a part solid with the head The spring 66 is under compression between the flange GT and the shoulder 68 and therefore tends to move the stem 50 upwardly and thus normally holdsthe. valve 17 up against the seat 54..

in the particular engine herein illustrated the valve 17 is adapted to be operated, that is. moved away from its seat by a suitable cam 70'throueh a tnppet lever 71. a push rod 7 2, and rocker arm '73, The cam 70 ismounted on one of the cam shafts 38 and engages the outer end portion of the tappct lever 71. The tappet lever 71 is pivotallv mounted at '74; and ngulfed by the push rod 72 at a point intermediate its point of pivotal mounting and its outer cnd. The push rod T2 extends between the ta'ppct. lever 71 and The. rorl-rer arm 73 is pivotally mounted at 75 and is arranged so that its inner arm engag cs'a cap 76} mounted on the upper end of the valve stem :30. The cap 76 is slidably combustion carried on the upper end in me step! 50 and is, held outwlzrdly on the stem bye compression-spring 72. The 3 ring; 73' is arranged between a flange 7 8 on t e cap 76 and the pin in the manner illustrated in l i 11.

The cycle of operation starts with the various parts of engine in theposit'ion shown in Figsfil'and 11, and indicated in Fig; 4 in which position the valve 16 is seated on its seats 19 and 21. thus separating the coinbustion chamber A from the passage 533, while the exhaust valve 1? is seated on the inlet. valve '16 so that its surface '60 engages the surface 61 of the inletvalve 16 and thus 'closes the upper end of the cylinder 10, the piston 11 is at the extreme upper end of its stroke and in practice there is only mecnanical clearance between the valve Wand the iston. 11 so that there is practically no has in .the cylinder above the piston. AS the cycle of operation starts the piston 11 moves downwardly in the cylinder away from the valve 17 and the valve 16 moves upwardly.

The valve 16 is moved upwardly by the cams 26 at the same time that. the cam 70 allows the valve 17 to be moved upwardly by the spring 16. In practice it is preferred that. the valve 16 be moved upwardly somewhat faster than. or ahead of, the valve 17 so that the valve 17 is moved or forced upwardly by the valve 16 thereby maintaining a tight joint between the valve 16 and the valve 17. In. ractic'e the valve '17 being accurately ,g uid ed by its stem 5O forms-a firm true member for the valve 16 to bear against and therefore greatly aids the action-pf the several' push rods in maintaining the valve 153 in true alignment. The spring 7? permits of the valve 17 being moved somewhat upwardly fromthe position in which it is held by the operating mechanism hereinbefore described. As the piston moves downwardly and the valve 16 moves upwardly awayfroni its seat carrying with it. the valve 17 new charge from the passage 23 flows or is drawn into the cylinder'frcm all parts ot the passage or from all sides lav the downward movement of the piston. The positioning of the valves as the piston moves downwardly is clearly illustrated in Fig; 4; piston-has reached thev positionindicated by the line 0 in Fig. 6 the intake valve 16 is completely open and the exhaust valve is in engagement with its seat 54 as indicated in F ig. 6. As-the piston continues to move downwardly the valves remain in this last mentioned position allowing free passage of fuel and air from the passage 23 into the cylinder. it will be particularly noted that the valve 16 in leaving the seat 19 allows the dharge in chamber 23 to pass i uto the cylinder from an sides or from all directions thus filling the cylinder very rapidly and having When the.

ills"? 7 .upwardly andcompresses the gases or is only working clearance between the piston I ton changes its direction of movement and starts upwardly the valve 16 returns .to its seats 19 and 21 leaving the exhaust valve 17 in engagement with its seat 54. The. valves remain in this position as the piston mtgesi e which entered the cylinder during the downward movement "of the piston. The positioningof the valves during the upward movement of the piston is indicated in Fig. 7 \Vhen the piston reaches the upper end of its stroke the valves are still in engagement with their seats and the charge of fuel is under compression in -thecombustion 7 chamber A. The compressed charge is then ignited by a suitable spark plug arranged in the cylinder hea d 52. as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 11. The compressed gases ignited by the spark plug 90 burn or expand to drive the piston downwardly in the cylinder. As the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke the exhaust! valve 17 is opened, or actuated, by the cam 70 allowing the gases of combustion in the cylinder and combustion chamber to escape .from thecylinder Band combustion chamber into the exhaust passage 53. After the piston has reversed its direction of movement at the lower end of its stroke and moves upwardly in the cylinder, the exhaust valve continues to open wider. Duringthis time the burnt gases are forced or pushed out of the cylinder by the piston. At the time the piston reaches its uppermost. point of travel the exhaust valve 17 reaches theinlet valve 16 so that the surfaces 60 and 61 are in engagement and there and valve 17 as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 11.

The engine is then in position to start another cycle of'operation.

. From the foregoing: description and from inspection of the drawings it will'be obvious how the fuel or fresh gas enters the cylinder uniformly or evenly on all sides and in all directions and how. the burnt gases likewise evenlj der zlndcombustion chamber around the edge or peripheral portion of valve 17 and are completely. expelled from,the cylinder and pombustiop chamber. As the. piston moves upwardl after the impulse or power stroke the burn gases are completely forcedor pushed out ofi the cylinder and at the mo-.. ment'that they are completely expelled from the cylinder the yalve 17 engages the valve .16 and completely covers or seals the cylinpushed or ,forced into the exhaust port 53.

der. As the valve 16. moves upwardly carrying with it the valve 17, or during the ad.- mission of the charge into the cylinder, the burnt gases in the combustion. chamber A are The valve 16, as before stated fits more or is. i

lessacc'urately in that portion of the casing 2? which forms the side wallof the combustron chamberand thus prevcnts any appreand uniformly'fiow out of the cylin-.

the valve 16, extends somewhat further 0ut-,

wardly than the corresponding part in the form of the invention first described, and slidablv engages the wall 92 of the casing 22. With this constmcgion it is not important for the valve 16 to fit the port-ion of the casing 22 which forms the side-wall of the combustion chamber A closely, as-the pro jcction 91 in engaging the wall 92 effectively seals the combustion chamber from passage 23 and prevents escaping of burnt gases from above the valves 16 and 17 into the cylinder or into the passage 23 when the valves are expelling the burnt gases from the chamber A'and are admitting fresh gasesin'to the cylinder 10. This form of the invention possesses someadvantageous features of operation and construction over the form of the invention first described in that the slid ing joint between the valve 16 and the cas-,

ing 22 is not at or in the combustion chamber but is removed from the combustion.

chamber and therefore the parts forming the joints are not subject to the high temperatures that they are in the form of the'invention first described. i

Havin -described only typical forms of my invention I donot wishto limit myself I to the particular details hereinabove .set forth but wishit'o reserve. to myself any changes orvariations that may appear to those skilled in the art or that mi 'ht fall within the scope of the following'claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

-1. In an engine, a cylinder, an endwise facingyalve seat on the cylinder, a member spaced from and surroundingthe cylinder forming an annular passage surrounding the cylinder, an endwise facing valve seat on said member, and an annular valve adapted to simultaneously engage said seats to close the annular passage. I

- 2. In an engine, a cylindenan endwise facing valve seat on the end of the cylinder, a member spaced from and surrounding the cylinder forming an. annular passage sar rounding the cylinden an endwise facing valve seaton said member,- and an annular valve adapted to simultaneously engage said seats. i

3. In an engine, two members one a cylinder the other a casing arranged concentricali.

ly surrounding the cylinder forming an an-, nular passage surrounding the cylinder, a

valve seat on each osmime; at film passage. an annular valve soap Mi .0 SlIlHLltaneonsly engage both of said valve seats 01 endwise movement, and a spring 1'11 eonnee;

tion with valve and one of said memhei's normally holding-i she valve on 4. Zn on engine, a. valve seat at odor, s aromn'lthe ulz'n' passage shoressici casino, 1: g i'ojecf around, 9. v2.1 ve tion on the easin an zillfllllfil valve adapted to extend between cylinder l casing and simultaneously *he valve seats, a

fiange extending from the valve, the rllange havie' :1 shoulder of its miter encl. :1 spning arranged around the flange an: .veen the projection and shouirler no nor holcl the valve on its seat 5. In on engine. 22 cylinder a memoe1' ;;me ;tion ving an round valve openopening, an annular valve for controlling the inlet opening disk valvz. for controlling the exh: 21st oper means for moving the the annular valve to it. means for moving the A means for holding the disk valve en geinent with the annular valve slur novenienfi of the annular valve.

7. In an embodying a oylintler with a comousiion chamber having an annular inlet opening and is round exhaust opening,

an annular valve for controlling the inlet opening, a. (.lisl: valve for controlling the ox haust opening, means for moving the disk valve to engage the ai'ximilm' valve to close the opening in it, means for n'ioving the annular valve. and yielding means to? hold ing the disk valve in engagemen'i with the annular valve during movement of the annular valve.

8. in an engine, a cylinder with a. combustion chamber in CORDQClLlOlLWltl'i it. p ston L'CClPl'OCZ lY f in cylinder, a valve adapted to Ca t the combustion chamher, and means moving the valve so that ch s an end of the cylinder at' the time the piston roaches that end of the cylinder.

9. In on engine. a qvlinder with e'oomhustion dia'mber in connection with it the chamber having on annular inlet opening concentrio with the oyliiilei" and an outlet opening in ii, {he inlet opening being at the end of disk.

messes {'3 the cylinder, an annular veive for controlling? inlet opening, a disk valve for controlmg the outlet opening, and means for moving the disk valve so that it range-" es the annular valve and oloses the end of l 1e cylinder upon the reaching that end of the cylinder.

10.- .lnasn enginew. oyhmler with a combustion ohmnber in oonnection Was. it the ohnnihoi' h ving an. inletopening eoncentric W131i! o :1 amino outlet opening in it, the isle min". being at the encl eylinclen onnu ar valve f0; oonliroiling' the 'l.i.'ll.u for oontrolling the l seeing, a. isk valve for moving the on ns; out through the wzudly facing Volvo two valves adapt- 3:(l to oontrol said pa weirdly and downw close their passages, formed io seat one 01' other, and means to move the two val independently and to move them together when seated one on the other. V

12. In an engine. a cylinder with exhaust and inlet passages with valve seats around them the two valve facing in.oppoes and seating" upespeoeively, to elves being also site nor-actions and spas-e51 apart, iwo valves adapted respeclively to eeat'on the two seats and being spaoml apart when so seated, the two Jana-ES being iOZlElSLl also so that one may be seated on'the oehei', and means to move. the valves to and from their seats and to move them togefiher-eeross-the space sep muting their sea-ts.

13. In an engine, oylindor'with a. combastion chamber and with inlet and exhaust passages communicating with the chamber at opposite sides of." ii:-

having valve seats for the two goassz oes facing in opposite directions, two valves oiopted, respectively, 130 seat on the two seats and each to move across the combustion chamber and formed so that one oi. the valves may seat on the other, and means to move the valves independently and to move them-together,-

when seated one on the other, across the combustion chamber.

14. Inan engine, a cylinder Withs com bustion chamber end with inleteml exhaust- -passages commun cating with the chamber at oposite sides of it and having valveseats or 'the'two passages facing in opposite directions, two valves adapted, respec txvely, to seat on the two seats and. each stroke,

to move across the combustion chamber and.

'formed' so that one of the valves may-seat with the piston movements so that both valves ,are seated on their passage closing seats during the explosion stroke of the piston, the exhaust valve is moved from its seat and crosses the combustion chamber during the exhaust stroke and seated on the intake valve near the end of the exhaust both. valves are moved back together across the combustion chamber during the intake stroke, and the intake'valv'e is then moved back across the chamber. to seat on its assage closing seat near the end of the intaitc stroke. 4

15.1%: on engine, a cylinder with a combustion chamber under the cylinder head, the cylinder head having an exhaust pessage and a downwardly "facing valve seat, the cylinder having an. annular intake passage around its upper end leading to the combustion chamber and having an annular valve seat lacing upwardly, a dish exhaust valve seating upwardly on the exhaust valve seat, an annular inlet valve seating downwardly on the inlet valve seat, the two valve seats and the two valve: when seated thereon being spaced apart across the combustion chamber, and the exhaust valve also being adapted to seat downwardly on the inlet valve, and means to move'the valves independently and to move them together, when seated one on the other, across the combustion ehembeix 16. In an engine, a cylinder with an annular port surrounding it and leading upwardly into it, the port havingan upwardly facing valve seat at each of its opposite annular edges, and an annular valve adapted to seat downwardly on said valve seats to close the ports; the cylinder head having another port, with a downwardly facing valve seat above the first mentioned port, and a valve adapted to seat upwardly on said seat.

17. In an engine, a cylinder with an enlarged circular combustion chamber at its upperend next its head, an annular port surrounding the cylinder and leading up into the outer part of the combustion chamcenses her, and there being an upwardly facing valve seat around the annular port at the combustion chamber, another port leading down through the head and having a downwardly facing seat, on upwardly seating valve and a downwardly seating annular valve, and the two valves bcin" so formed that one may seat on the other.

1.8. In an engine, a cylinder with an onlarged circular combustion chamber at its upper end next its head, an annular port surrounding the cylinder and leadingup into the outer part oi the combustion chamher, and therebning an upwardly facing valve seat around each edge otthe annular portat the lower put of the combustion chan'lbcr, an annular valve seating on the two seats and adapted to be moved upwardly across the combustion chamber, the cylinder head having another port leading down into the chamber and having a downwardly facing valve seat, a valve seating upwardly on said seat and adapted to be moved down across the chamber, and the two valves being so formed that one may be seated on the other.

9. In an engine, :1 cy index with a combustion chamber at! one end, a piston in the cylinder,- tbe walls of the combustion chamber opposite the end -cf the cylinder having a port, a valve to close that port, and means to move the valve across the chamber to open the port and to close the end of the cylinder as the piston reaches that end of the cylinder. p

20. In an engine embodying?" acylinder and a combustion chamber, two valves, one adapted to control the admission of fresh gases to the cylinder and combustion chamber, the other adapted to control the escape of gases from the combustion chainbcr, the two valves together being adapted to entirely fill the cross-section of the combustion chamber, and means to more the valves across the chamber to remove burned gases from it.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of May, 1921.

TRACY B. HATCH.

Witness:

VIRGINIA 'Bnnlnonu. 

